Addressing-machine with multiple-impression controller.



U. G. LEE. ADOREssINO MACHINE wITH MULTIPLE IMPRESSION CONTROLLER.

APPLICATION FILED AUG. l2. 1912. RENEWED APR. 20. |915. l ,162,621. Patented Nov. 30, 1915.

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Patented Nov. 30, 1915.

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l APPLICATION FILED AUG-12| |912. RENEWED APR. 20. 1915. 1,162,621.

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U. G. LEE.

ADDRESSING MACHINE WITH MULTIPLE IMPRESSION CONTROLLER. APPLICATION FILED AUG. 12` 1912. RENEwED APR.20.1915.

l 1 62,621 Patented Nov. 3o, 1915.

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ULYSSES G. LEE, OF CI-IATTANOOGA, TENNESSEE, ASSIGNOR T MNTAGUE MAILING MACHINERY CO., A CORPORATION OF TENNESSEE.

ADDRESSING-MACI-IINE WITH 'MULTIPLE-IMPRESSION CONTROLLER.

l Application filed August 12, 1912, Serial No. 714,722.

To @ZZ whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, ULYssns G. LEE, citizen of the United States, residing at Chattanooga, Tennessee, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in-Addressing-Machines with Multiple-Impression Controllers, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to addressing apparatus, and particularly to that class in which individual address plates are employed which are fed automatically from a hopper to the impression point. u

Among other features my invention concerns means whereby single or plural impressions can be made from one plate at the will of the operator.

Another feature of my invention concerns means whereby any number of impressions may be made from one and the same plate. y

In the accompanying drawings: Figure 1 is a plan yview of an addressing machine embodying my invention; Fig. 2 is a side elevation; Fig. 3 is a detail sectional view of the impression multiplying device; Fig. 4 is a side elevation of said device; Fig. 5 is a side view of the ratchet wheel of the plate feeder drive; Fig. 6 Vis a view of a controller by which duplicating of impressions may be secured; Fig. 7 is a side elevation of the driving ratchet and the duplicating controller assembled.

In these drawings, the main table is shown at 1 having supports or ears 2 for a shaft 3 of an impression member 4 which is formed of side arms connected by a cross head 6, which may be formed in one piece with the side arms, the said cross head having an extension 7 forming a handle by which the impression arm may be operated. The impression arm carries an impression pad 8 mounted therein inl any suitable manner. The address plates of the type known as the Montague are held in a hopper 9 composed of sides 10 and this hopper is located immediately in rear of the pivot of the impression arm and the plates are held with their long sides extending transversely of the machine. The plates are fed from this hopper by dogs 11 on chains 12 which are representative of any suitable form of endless carriers, there being a pair of these Y chains employed, said chains passing around idle wheels 13 at the front of the machine Patented Nov. 3Q, 1915.

Renewed April 20, 1915. Serial No. 22,72).

and about sprocket wheels 141 arranged at the rear of the machine slightly back of the position of the hopper. These sprocket wheels are iiXed to a; shaft 15 suitably journaled in the framework, and en this shaft is also mounted by a feather or spline 16 a disk or pawl carrier 17 to which a pawl 18 is pivoted which is kept to its work by a spring 18. Alongside ofthis pawl carrier, which may be of a form other than that of a disk, I mount a driving ratchet 19, this Y being loose on the shaft 15, and having a sleeve 2O to which is fixed a gear 21 with which meshes a segment 22, which segment is mounted on the shaft 3 of the impression arm to operate in unison therewith. This ratchet wheel, therefore, is given an oscillating movement about the shaft 15 corresponding to the oscillations of the impression arm. As the impression arm moves down to make an impression, the ratchet wheel will be turned in the direction of the arrow, Fig. 2, and will rotate idly under the pawl, whereas when the impression arm 4rises under the action of a spring 23, the

ratchet will be rotated in a direction opposite to that of the arrow, and one of its teeth will engage the pawl, supposing the pawl has been adjusted to a position in line with or over the ratchet, and on this movement the ratchet will, through the pawl, turn the pawl carrier, and as this is fixed to the shaft 15, the said shaft, together with the sprocket wheels, will be rotated, and the controlling means I show a disk, 24, for the purpose of securing duplicate impressions from the same plate. The controlling disk 24 is frictionally held against one side of the driving ratchet 19, finding a. bearing on a hub of said ratchet at 26. is before stated, the pawl carrier 17 is splined to the shaft 15, and it may be adjusted to one of several positions, namely: in a position so that the pawl will engage only the ratchet [wheel 19, or in a position where the pawl will engage the controller disk 24 overhanging the driving ratchet 19 to be engaged thereby when permitted to do so by the controlling disk 24. For adjusting the pawl into these positions, a yoke or handle 27 is employed extending out through an opening in the frame or table, said yoke having notches at 28 to engage a catch plate 29 whereby the pawl carrier may be held in any of the positions stated.

Referring to Figs. 5 and 6, it will be seen that the ratchet wheel 19 is provided with four :notches or teeth, while the Vduplicating controlling disk 24 is provided with two notches 30 and two teeth 31. supposing the pawl carrier is adjusted on the shaft so that the pawl engages only the ratchet wheel 19, there will be a feed of the address plates for each operation of the impression arm, and there will be one impression made from each plate.

Supposing the pawl carrier is adjusted to the position in which the pawl will ride upon the controlling disk 24, there will be a feeding action of the address plates for each two complete movements of the impression arm, so that duplicating of impressions from the same plate may be eected. lVith the parts adjusted as just described, and assuming that we start with the deep notch in the controlling' disk 24 adjacent or in alinement with one of the notches in the ratchet wheel, and with the pawl resting in this deep notch and consequently engaging the notch or tooth of the ratchet, the impression arm is now brought down and through the connections described the ratchet 19, together with the controlling disk, are rotated in the direction of the arrow, Fig. 2, or in other words, toward the right, ninety degrees. This brings another notch or tooth of the driving ratchet 19 directly under the pawl, but it does not bring a notch of the controlling disk to the pawl but instead it brings one of the teeth or projections 31 in position to engage the pawl. Therefore the pawl can not engage the notch in the ratchet because it is held up from said engagement by the controller disk. Now when. the impression arm rises and the ratchet wheel 19V is thereby turned in a direction opposite to that of the arrow, (which is the direction in which it performs its driving action) it will not engage the pawl and no driving action of the plate feed will take place, but a second impression will be made from the plate at the impression point when the arm is lowered.

The pawl, however, by engaging the tooth on the controller, will hold this controller disk against rotating back with the ratchet which, of course, is the equivalent of turning the controller in relation to said ratchet toward the right through an arc equal to 90 degrees. This causes the controlling disk and ratchet to assume such relative positions that a deep notch in the controller will aline with the notch or tooth of the ratchet but at a point ninety degrees to the left away from the pawl. Y Now when the impression arm is again depressed, the ratchet and controller will rotate in the arrow direction through an are equal to a little more than ninety degrees, and this will bring the alining deep notches of the controller and ratchet to the point of the pawl which immediately drops into these deep notches so that when the impression arm again rises, and the driving ratchet is rotated to the left or in a direction opposite to that of the ar row, Fig. 2, the pawl will be carried along and a feed of the endless chains will take place to take the lowermost address plate from the stack 1in the hopper and feed it toward the impression point and move the used plate away. lVhenthe impression arm is again brought down and the driving ratchet is moved on its idle stroke in the arrow direction ninety degrees, the con troller plate will move with it. This will carry a. new notch of the ratchet wheel and a new tooth of the controller to the point of the pawl, but because the controller has no deep notch at this point it will hold the pawl out of the notch in the ratchet drive wheel, and when the ratchet drive wheel rotates leftward as a result of the raising of the impression arm, it will not move the pawl but lthe pawl will hold the controller disk which, as above stated, is equivalent to advancing the controller disk in relation to the ratchet, bringing its deep notches to aline with the appropriate tooth in the ratchet wheel for eecting a plate feeding action on the neXt operation of the impression arm.

It will be seen that the driving ratchet 19 simply oscillates through an arc of ninety degrees only, and each time the pawl engages it the pawl is advanced ninety degrees, the pawl traveling step by step forwardly with the shaft of the sprocket wheel, and at each movement advancing the endless feeders enough to feed forward an address plate the desired distance. The ratchet 19 asabove indicated is the driver, while the disk 24 is only for the purpose of preventing the pawl from dropping into the notches of the driver except on the second impression.

It will be noticed also that while the ratchet driver oscillates, the disk 24 is always moved in the same direction to make its deep notches aline with theV teeth in the driving ratchet at predetermined intervals to thereby effect the feed of the plate, the said disk at other times preventing the dropping of the pawl into the teeth of the driving ratchet to prevent the feed of the address plates and for making duplicate irnpressions.

Multiple impressz'onsf-Supposing it is desired to print the same address on a number of pieces. This can be done by disconnecting the segment 22 from the impression arm, for which purpose the thumb-screw 34 is taken out or loosened, leaving the impression arm free to be moved without operating the segment. |The ribbon 2 extends between the spools 35. rlhese spools are operated through gearing 36 from shaft 87, which is turned by a pawl and ratchet at 38, the pawl being carried by an arm 39 connected by a link with a pin 40 on the impression arm` While l have described what l consider as the best means and arrangement of parts for carryingv out my invention, do not wish to limit myself to the construction shown. Y p

lt will be understood that the feed mechanism for the address plates moves them from the impression point and toward the operator after the impression has been made, and they fall in proper order into a suitable receptacle, indicated at the left of Fig. 2 at X.

I claim as my invention l l. In combination in an addressing machine, aA table, a hopper at the rear part of the table for holding printing platesV and a receiver at the front end of the table for said plates, a straight runway for the plates extending from the hopper to the receiver, an impression arm pivoted at a point at the rear of the table adjacent the hopper and having an impression head at its free end and having also a handle at its free end to draw said arm downwardly and forwardly in a direction lengthwise of the runway to malte the impression head cooperate with the plates on an impression surface at a point intermediate the length of the straight runway, a carrier for moving the plates along the straight runway step by step, a driver for the plate carrier connected with the impression'arm and deriving a back and forth movement therefrom, a controller for rendering' said driver ineffective at times in driving the carrier to thereby permit a plate to rest at the impression point to make a plurality of impressions therefrom, inlring ribbon mechanism including the ribbon spools, below the table, the ribbon extending transversely over the runway, and means for operating the ribbon spools from the hand operated impression arm step by step.

2. In combination in an addressing machine, a table, a hopper at the rear part of the table for holding printing plates and a receiver at the front end of the table for said plates, a straight runway for the plates extending from the hopper to the receiver, an impression arm pivoted at a point at the rear of the table adjacent the hopper and having an impression head and a handle to draw said arm downwardly and forwardly to malte the impression head cooperate with the plates on an impression surface at a point intermediate the length of the straight runway, a carrier for moving the plates along the straight runway step by step, said impression arm having an extension below Vthe table, releasable inter-engaging members below the table, one of which is connected with the said extension to be operated thereby and the other of which is operated by the first mentioned member and is connected with the said plate carrier, and a controller for determining the times of engagement and release of said interengaging members, said controller being mounted to turn about an axis parallel with the pivot axis of the impression arm.

3. In combination in an addressing machine, a table, a hopper at the rear part of the table for holding printing plates and a receiver at the front end of the table for said plates, a straight runway for the plates exten ding from the hopper to the receiver, an impression arm pivoted at a point at the rear of the table adjacent the hopper and having an impression head and a handle to draw said arm downwardly and forwardly to malte the impression head cooperate with the plates on an impression surface at a point intermediate the length of the straight runway, a carrier for the plates, connections between the pivoted end of the impression arm and the carrier for giving it movement along said straight runway, said connections .including a pawl, a controller for said pawl to vdetermine the times said pawl will be effective in moving the carrier, and hand operated means for securing a relative adjust ment of said pawl and controller in a direction parallel with the pivot axis of the iinpression arm for varying the movements of the carrier in respect to the strokes of the impression arm, substantially as described.

4l. In combination in an addressing machine, a table having a runway for individual printing plates, feed means for the printing plates operating along the said runway, a pivotally mounted impression arm, a connection below the table from the im pression arm to the plate feed means including a pawl and a member with which said pawl engages to impart movement from said impression arm to the plate feed means, said pawl and member having movement in a plane at right angles to the pivot axis of the impression arm, a controller for the said pawl to determine the times said pawl will engage the said member for the movement llO movement of the said connection below the table, substantially as described.

5. In combination in an addressing machine, an oscillating impression arm, a plate feeder comprising a chain moving in one direction and having dogs to engage the address plates, pawl and ratchet mechanism for operating the chain, a segment connected with the oscillating arm, and a gear operated thereby and connected with the ratchet for operating the same, substantially as described.

6. In combination in an addressing machine, an oscillating impression arm, a plate feeder comprising a chain moving in one direction and having dogs to engage the address plates, pawl and ratchet mechanism for operating the chain, a segment connected with the oscillating arm and a gear operated thereby and connected with the ratchet for operating the same, and a controller operated by the ratchet and pawl for controlling the operation of the feeder, substantially as described.

7. In combination in an addressing machine, an impression member, an address plate feeder, a pawl and ratchet for driving the same. one of said parts having oscillating movement, a controller consisting of a notched and toothed disk, rotatable about the axis of the ratchet, to be engaged by the pawl and allow the pawl to engage the ratchet when a notch in the controller alines with a tooth of the ratchet and with the pawl, said pawl and ratchet and controller having relative adjustment in the direction of the axis of the ratchet to make the pawl engage the ratchet alone or to engage the controllerA and when permitted thereby to also engage the ratchet, substantially7 as described.

8. In combination in an addressing machine, an impression member, an address plate feeder, a pawl and ratchet drive for the address plate feeder, a connection between the impression member and ratchet for driving the latter, a connection from the pawl. to the address plate feeder, and a notched and toothed controller plate for the pawl rotated by frictional contact with the ratchet, said parts being relatively adjustable axially to vary the feed of the plates, substantially as described.

9. In combination an impression arm, an endless feeder for address plates, a driver consisting of a pawl and ratchet, a shaft on which the ratchet is loosely mounted, a gear connected with the ratchet, a segment extending from the impression arm and en- 10. In combination a hand operated ifrlf pression member pivoted at its lower end,.a plate feed mechanism, a segment detachably connected with the impression member and extending therefrom below its pivot, and a gear operated by said segment for operating the plate feed mechanism, substantially as described.

l1. In combination a pivotally mounted impression arm having a handle at its free end, a hopper for address plates in rear of the pivot of the arm, an endless address plate feeder movable in a straight line from the hopper to the impression point under the impression arm and past the pivot thereof, means for imparting a step by step movement to the endless feeder from the movement of the hand operated impression arm, an inking ribbon extending transversely over the endless feeder, and mechanism independent of the plate feeder for operating the inki'ng ribbon from the impression arm, substantially as described. Y Y,

12. In combination a pivotally mounted impression arm having a handle at its free end, a hopper for address plates in rear of the pivot of the arm, an endless address plate feeder movable under the impression arm and past the pivot'thereof, means for imparting a step by step movement to the endless feeder from the movement of the hand operated impression arm, an inking ribbon extending transversely over the endless feeder, mechanism for operating the inking ribbon from the impression arm, said mechanism consisting of the ribbon spools, a shaft geared thereto and extending transversely of the feeder, a ratchet on the shaft, a pawl, a pawl arm pivoted on the shaft, and a link connecting the pawl arm with the impression arm, substantially as described.

In testimony whereof, I afix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

ULYSSES G. LEE.

Witnesses:

PAUL DoUGnTY, LLoYD R. STONEP..

Copies of this patent may be obtained for ve cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents. Washington, D. C. 

